Doctor Who season 11: Hayley Atwell not interested in being The Doctor

For some time, there’s been some talk about Hayley Atwell becoming The Doctor for Doctor Who season 11. Granted, much of it’s been generated by writers and fans more so than the former Agent Carter star. She did suggest at one point on Twitter (back when she had an account) that she’d like to be The Doctor, but it was more of a casual response to a question than anything serious.

While at Heroes & Villains Fan Fest in London this weekend, Atwell was a little more definitive in her take. Speaking at a panel (per Comicbook.com), she made it clear that the gig is just not something that she wanted to take on at this time:

“No. It’s just not my thing, but I really respect it. I’m a big fan of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, though. She plays the lead in Fleabag. There were talks of her being the next Doctor, and she’s so funny and eccentric and unique; she’d be great. I can’t really see anyone other than her playing it.”

Waller-Bridge for a while has been a favorite to land the part, at least if the show does opt to hire the first female Doctor in the history of the show. There is no indication that they for certain will do this. One of the problems with covering at length the search for the next Doctor (something there’s been some hesitancy to do on our part over time) is the sole fact that there is no guarantee that any of the names being reported out there are actually serious contenders for the role. The person in control of the hire, beyond the folks at the BBC, is upcoming showrunner Chris Chibnall. Unless there are sources living within the innermost corners of his mind, it’s hard to necessarily know just what he is interested in doing.

Odds are, the next Doctor for Doctor Who is going to be announced at some point before the end of the summer. After all, you want viewers for the upcoming Christmas Special (where the regeneration happens) to have something to look forward to seeing.

What do you think: Did you want to see Atwell on Doctor Who moving forward? Share in the comments below!

Meanwhile, be sure to head over to the link here in the event you want to get some other news when it comes to show. (Photo: BBC.)